Adjustable clamp.



W. UPPINCOTT.

ADJUSTABLE CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED MAYIB. 1915.

1,189, 144. Patented June 27,1916.

Attorneys WILLIS LIPPINCOTT, OF KALISPELL, MONTANA.

ADJUSTABLE CLAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 27, 1916.

Application filed May 18, 1915. Serial no. 28,888.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIS Lrrrrnoor'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kalispell, in the county of Flathead and State of Montana, have invented a new and useful Adjustable Clamp, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention appertains to clamps, and aims to provide a novel and improved clamp adapted to be employed by carpenters or other artisans for clamping and holding various objects.

It is the object ofthe invention to provide a clamp embodying a bar having a slide movable thereon, and actuating means carried by the slide and including dogs or pawls engageable with the bar whereby the actuating means in being oscillated will advance the slide along the bar, the dogs being spring pressed into engagement with the bar, and the construction being such that the dogs may be readily released from the bar when it is desired to quickly move the slide along the bar. 7

It is also within the scope of the invention to provide an adjustable clamp having the above mentioned characteristics, and which is comparatively simple and inexpensive in construction, as well as being convenient, practical and efficient in use. 7

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a plan view of theimproved clamp, portions being broken away. Fig. 2 is an end view of thedevice. Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. & is a fragmental view of the clamp looking opposite to the line of view in Fig. 1, and illustrating the releasing spring for one dog or pawl.

In carrying out the invention, there is provided a bar 1 having a bend 2 at one end, and having a stationary or fixedjaw 3 secured to the said end. A slide 4: is movable upon the bar 1, and is provided with an angularly extending jaw 5, which is the movable jaw that cooperates with the jaw 3. The bar 1 is provided along one edge with a series of ratchet teeth 6, and along its other edge with a series of ratchet teeth 7, for the engagement of the actuating means carried by the slide.

The actuating means carried by the slide embodies a lever 8. This lever 8 is composed of two bars or strips 8 which are riveted or otherwise secured together, as at 9, and which are oifset away from each other to provide a fork 10 which straddles the slide 4 and bar 1. The branches of the fork 10 are fulcrumed to the slide 4: between the jaw 5 and bar 1, by means of a bolt or pivot element 11 engaged through the branches of the fork and through the slide. The arms of the lever 8 are preferably arranged at an obtuse angle relatively to one another, the free ends of the branches of the fork 10 projecting to that edge of the bar 1 remote from the jaws, while the arm or shank of the lever formed by those portions of the bars 8 which are secured together at 9, projects away from the slide 4, and is adapted to be manually oscillated, and if desired a pipe or similar element may be slipped into engagement with the operating arm of the lever 7 for increasing the purchase or leverage. Dogs or pawls are carried by the lever, and to this end a dog or. pawl 12 has its butt end pivoted to a bolt or pivot element 13 engaged through the free ends of the branches of the fork 10, and the dog 12 is provided at its free end with .a. hook 14 to engage the ratchet teeth 6. A second dog orpawl 15 is provided'at its butt end with spaced eyes or bearings 16 journaled upon the end portions of the fulcrum or pivot bolt 11 astride the lever 8, and the free end of the dog 15 is engageable with the ratchet teeth 7 The dog 12 projects toward that end of the bar 1 having the jaw 3, while the dog 15 projects away from said end of the bar. It is to be noted that the dog 12v is carried by the free end of the lever, while the dog 15 is engaged to the fulcrum member of the lever carried by the slide 4.

A leaf spring 17 is secured to thefree end of the slide 4 and projects through the fork 10 and has its free end bearing against the dog 15 to force the said dog into engagement with the ratchet teeth 7, and a leaf spring 19 1s secured to that side of the dog 15 adjacent the bar 1 and has its free end bearing against the slide 4. The tension of the spring 17 is greater than the tens on of the spring 19, and although the spring 19 has a tendency to force the dog 15 outcent the fulcrum bolt 11, and the free end or bend of the member 20 is engageable with the spring 17 so that when the member 20 is swung against the lever 8, it will move and hold the spring 17 away from the bar 1, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. 'When the member 20 is swung toward the dog 15, the spring 17 is released for movingv the said dog into engagement with the ratchet teeth 7.

Two springs are employed in connection with the dog 12, one for normally holding the said dog in engagement with the ratchet teeth 6, and the other for releasing the dog when the first mentioned spring is released.

Thus, a spring 22, constructed of wire, has a coil 23 embracing one end portion of the bolt 13 and is provided with an arm 24. having its free end engaged in any suitable manner to the dog 12, and is provided with a second arm 25 engaged under an outstanding lug 26 carried by the respective branch of the fork 10. The free end of the arm 25 is provided with a suitable finger piece 27 whereby the arm 25 may be released from the lug 26 readily to release the spring 22. A second wire spring 28 is provided with a coil 29 embracing the other end portion of the bolt 13, and having an arm 30 whose free end is engaged to the dog 12 in any suitable manner, and provided with a second arm 31 bearing upon an outstanding lug 32 carried by the respective branch of the fork. The coil 23 of the spring 22 has a tendency to move the arms 24 and 25 of the said spring toward one another, whereby when the arm 25 is engaged under the lug 26, the arm 24: in moving inwardly or toward the arm 25 will move the dog 12 into engagement with the ratchet teeth 6. The coil 29 of the spring 28 has a tendency to separate the arms 30 and 31, whereby the spring 28 has a tendency to move the dog 12 away from the ratchet teeth 6, but since the tension of the spring 22 is greater than that of the spring 28, the influence of the spring 22 controls and ordinarily holds the dog 12 in engagement with the ratchet teeth 6.

In operation, when the object or objects to be clamped are disposed between the jaws 3 and 4, the jaws may be moved together to tightly clamp the object or objects, and to this end, the lever 8 is oscillated whereby the dog 12 in engaging the ratchet teeth 6 will cause the slide at to be moved toward the be readily released by rendering the main springs inoperative or by releasing them. Thus, the dog 15 may be released by swinging the member 20 to release the spring 17, and which will allow the spring 19 to move the dog 15 away from the ratchet teeth 7, and by disengaging the arm 25 of the spring 22 from the lug 26, the main spring 22 is rendered inoperative, and the secondary spring 8 of the dog 12 will move the dog 12 away from the ratchet teeth 6. The slide 1 may then be readily moved along the bar 1 without interference. This allows the slide to be quickly and readily adjusted. When the slide has moved to the desired point, the dogs may again be brought into operation, by engaging the arm 25 of the spring 22 under the lug 26, and releasing the member length, and in fact the several parts may be of various proportions according to the circumstances and uses to which the device is to be put. The jaws 3 and 5 may be faced with rubber or other compressible material whereby they will not injure the object or objects clamped, and in order that the facings in being compressed will prevent the loose play of the respective parts.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a device of the character described, a bar having ratchet teeth, a slide movable upon the bar, a lever having a fork straddling the slide, a fulcrum member engaged through the fork and slide, a dog pivoted between the free ends of the branches of the fork, and a second dog having spaced portions straddling the lever and journaled upon said fulcrum member, the dogs being a bar having ratchet teeth, a slide movable upon the bar, a lever having a fork straddling the slide, a fulcrum member engaged through the fork and slide, a dog pivoted between the free ends of the branches of the fork, a second dog having spaced portions straddling the lever and journaled upon said fulcrum member, the dogs being engageable with the ratchet teeth, a secondary spring between the first mentioned dog and lever tending to move said dog away from the bar, a main spring between the first mentioned dog and lever and of greater tension than said secondary spring for moving said dog into engagement with the respective ratchet teeth, said main spring being adapted to be released whereby said secondary spring comes into play for releasing the first mentioned dog, a leaf spring secured to the second dog and bearing against the slide to move the second dog away from the bar, a second leaf spring secured to the slide and bearing against the second dog to move the second dog against the bar, the second leaf spring being of greater tension than the first mentioned leaf spring, and means for releasing the second leaf spring whereby the first mentioned leaf spring comes into play for releasing the second dog.

3. In a device of the character described, a ratchet bar, a slide movable therealong, a lever having a fork straddling the slide and fulcrumed thereto, a pivot member engaged through the fork, a dog pivoted to said pivot member and engageable with the ratchet bar, a secondary spring having a coil embracing one end portion of the pivot memher and having arms engaging the dog and one branch of the, fork, respectively, and a main spring having a coil embracing the other end portion of the pivot member and having a pair of arms, one arm of the main spring being engaged to the dog, the other branch of the fork having means for the detachable engagement of the other arm of the main spring, the main spring being of greater tension than the secondary spring and tending tomove the dog into engagement with the bar, while the secondary spring has a tendency to release the dog.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIS LIPPINCOTT.

Witnesses:

J. H. SALING, H. G. PoMERoY.

copies of this patent may be obtained for the cent: each, by addressing the Commissioner of htutl, Washington, D. 0." 

